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ATLANTIC OCEAN – The U.S. Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), worked together with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8, to ensure productive relationships were built and to enable successful flight operations during her post-delivery test and trials (PDT&T), accomplishing the very vital mission of ensuring the deployment readiness of Ford and thus future Ford-class carriers.
The relationship between the CVW-8 maintenance team and Ford’s aircraft intermediate maintenance department (AIMD) is critical to the readiness and operational capability of an embarked air wing. However, that is only two-thirds of the relationship. The other crucial arm involved is Ford’s supply department.
Lt. Cmdr. David Doyle, CVW-8’s maintenance officer, Cmdr. Eric Nagley, Ford’s maintenance officer and Cmdr. Carl Koch, Ford’s supply officer, form what they describe as a “triad of readiness,” between the air wing and ship’s force. The triad met and began working together in March 2020, just before Ford earned its inaugural flight deck certification. The team met regularly in the following months to compare projected maintenance needs for the air wing based on aircraft embarks and AIMD capabilities.
“This gave us an accurate assessment of what the air wing could reasonably expect for aircraft services from AIMD and resourcing from supply while underway,” said Doyle. “We were able to identify any potential short-falls and apply mitigation strategies in advance.”
Since post shake-down availability (PSA) and over the last year, Ford Sailors are operating all AIMD spaces. In preparation for air wing support, Ford’s AIMD technicians certified the jet engine test instrument (JETI) cell and the X-ray vault, and brought all of their consolidated automated support system benches online. AIMD’s ground support equipment was also available to the squadrons.
“With the air wing embarked, we are able to test and evaluate the ship’s ground support equipment onboard,” said Aviation Electronics Technician 1st Class Timothy Christian, assigned to Ford’s AIMD. “AIMD Sailors have been able to power up, test, repair and utilize the support equipment in order to test and repair aircraft parts.”
Cmdr. Koch and his supply team worked with commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic (CNAL) to ensure that aircraft parts were onboard during air wing embarkations. During the first air wing embarkation, Doyle explained that CVW-8 was able to maintain a readiness level of 90%, which he said is remarkable for an air wing that has been in a maintenance phase since 2017.
In addition, Koch implemented a “silver bullet program,” a program designed to remove administrative burdens from the air wing and dramatically reduce the time it takes an aircraft part to be issued and installed, which better enables the air wing to launch aircraft on schedule.
“From the beginning, both of our teams knew that we were integrating an air wing on a new platform and while many operations are similar to a Nimitz-class carrier, we would be learning how Ford operated together,” said Koch. “The ship was not scheduled to receive aviation repair parts for some time, but we were eager to find ways to support the air wing. The ‘readiness triad’ floated a proposal to the type commander staff, and CNAL fully supported the idea.”
The AIMD team provides numerous aircraft services to the air wing while underway including: support equipment issue, non-destructive inspections, oxygen and nitrogen servicing, oil analysis, repaired aircraft avionics, rebuilt tires, tested hold back bars and maintained and issued ordnance test equipment. During PDT&T, the AIMD team and CVW-8 truly exemplified their motto of “maintenance excellence.”
“The communication between the ‘readiness triad’ is irreplaceable,” said Nagley. “The readiness of our command lives within the relationship formed between Ford’s aircraft intermediate maintenance department, supply department and the air wing’s maintenance department.”
Ford is in port Naval Station Norfolk making preparations for Full Ship Shock Trials.
For more news from USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), visit www.dvidshub.net/unit/CVN78
| Date Taken: | 04.30.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 06.30.2021 20:31 |
| Story ID: | 400067 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 182 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Ford-class Aviation Maintenance Accomplishes the Mission, by PO2 Riley McDowell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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